Apparatus for supplying ammunition to turret or barbette guns.



No. 669,896. Patented Mar. I2, I90I. A. T. DAWSON &. J. HORNE.

APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AMMUNITION T0 TURRET 0R BARBETTE GUNS.

(Application filed Mar. 26, 1900.) 4 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shoat l.

wed 2166666.

No. 669,396. Patented Mar. |2,'i9m.

. A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE. APPARATUS FOB SUPPLYING AIMIUNITIDN T0 TURRET 0R BARBE'I'TE GUNS.

(Application filed Mar. 26. 1908. (lo Nodal.) 3 Shasta-Shoat 2.

weft 116.369

No. 669,896. atentod Mar. l2, |90| P A. T. DAWSON &. J. HORNE.

APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AMMUNITION TO TURRET OB BABBETTE GUNS.

(Application filed. Mar. 26, 1900. (No Model.) 3 Shaats$haat 3.

the gun.

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, OF WESTMINSTER, AND JAMES HORNE, OF BARROW-IN-FURNESS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VIGKERS, SONS & MAXIM, LIMITED, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYlNG AMMUNITION T0 TURRET 0R BARBETTE GUNS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 669,896, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed March 26, 1900. Serial No. 10,252. (No model.)'

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, residing at 28 Victoria street, Westminster, in the countyof London, and JAMES HORNE, residing at Barrowin-Fnrness, in the county of Lancaster,England, citizens of England, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Supplying Ammunition to Turret or Barbette Guns and Loading Them, (for which we have applied fora patent in Great Britain, dated May 3, 1899, No. 9,335,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means of supplying projectiles and explosive charges to guns mounted in turrets or barbettes, as we shall describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a central longitudinal section of a turret, showing a gun in two positions. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the turret with two guns. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the turret and lift-trunk for the projectiles and ammunition.

Below the turn-table,attached to and revolving with it, are a circular chamber 12. and a lift-trunk p, which extends down into the interior of the vessel and forms the shaft of a lift or hoist for raising the projectiles and explosive charges or cartridges to the gun-platform.

A cage q carries two projectiles,side by side, lying on it with their axes parallel to that of rotatable bogie 1' brings the projectiles from another bogie or from an overhead traveler to the cage g. This bogie runs on tracks .9, attached to the lift-shaft. The bogie has mounted on it a vertical shaft 11., having free to turn on it two pinions which gear, respectively, with circular racks 'v and w, the one fixed on the lift-shaft and the other on the structure of the vessel. Between these pinions is a double-ended clutch, sliding on a. feather on the shaft y, so that by means of a handle a: it can be engaged with either of the pinions, but never with both. By a winchhandle y and worm-gear the shaft u, can be turned in either direction, and thus the bogie 'r can be caused to travel around to any suit- At the bottom of the lift-shaft a able position for receiving the projectiles on it and back to face the cage q to deliver the projectiles on it, at which time if the liftshaft is revolving the bogie 1' is bolted to it, so as to revolve with it. The projectiles lying on an incline on the bogie r on the withdrawal of bolts which held them slide down each onto an inclined trough on the cageq against a vertically-sliding spring-stop 1, against which the base of the projectile abuts. The cage qis moved by hand-winch or by an electric or other motor along guides in the lift-shaft. When it approaches the top of its course, the spring-stops 1 meet a stationary inclined trough 2, by which they are depressed in opposition to their springs, which act as a kind of bufier, preventing shock on stoppage of the cage. The projectiles beingno longer stopped slide down the inclined trough 2 to the rear of the gun, and from this each passes down an inclined traverse-way 3 onto a loading-tray 4, which in its lowest position is horizontal, or nearly so, and at such a level that it is below the breech of the gun when it recoils at its greatest elevation. I

The loading-tray is pivoted to the upper end of a segmental bar 5, which has rackteeth gearing with a pinion worked by wormgear from\an electric motor 6, by which the loading-tray is raised and lowered. On the inclined way 3 there are two stops, one of which is provided with a spring and both con nected to the two opposite arms of a lever which has a third arm 19 in the path of a bracket 20, which projects from the segmental bar 5. When this bar is down, the tray 4 being then horizontal, with its edge resting on the edge 21 of the inclined way 3, then the arm 19 is depressed by the bracket 20, whereby the lower one of the two stops on said inclined way 3 is lowered and the upper stop raised. The foremost of the projectiles on the inclined way 3 then rolls onto the loading-tray, the next projectile in order being held back by the upper stop on said inclined way 3. When the segmental bar 5 rises with the projectile on it, the upper one of the two stops on the way 3 is lowered and the lower stop is raised, so that the next projectile in order rolls down till it is held by the lower stop ready to roll onto the loading-tray, when it descends again. As the segmental bar ascends, the tray 4, which is hinged to it, rests upon the projecting bracket 20, taking such a position that as it ascends its axis is radial to the gun-trunnions.

The explosive charges in the form of metal cartridges 7 are loaded at the bottom of the lift-shaftonio inclined shelves 8, whence they slide onto cages 9, by which they are raised. Toward the top the guides for these cages diverge outward, so that the cages at the top of their course come to positions one at each side of the turret at some height above the platform. From this position the cartridges 7 slide down sligln-ly-inclined troughs 10 onto transversely-traveliug trays 11, which have blades interspaeing with blades 12, projecting from the sides of the loading-trays 4, so that each cartridge is raised by those blades as the loading-tray ascends and rests on them at the side of the projectile on the loadingtray, and when the projectile is pushed into the gun and the rammer withdraws the cartridge rolls into the place that was occupied by the projectile on the tray and is in its tn rn rammed into the gun.

What we claim is 1. The combination with a revoluble gunplatform, a lift-shaft attached to and revoluble with said platform and provided with cages for projectiles and explosive charges, a

bogie mounted on said lift-shaft for charging a projectile-cage, inclines for travel of the ammunition from a cage to position in rear of the gun, and a loading-tray, of a movable segmental guide concentric with the gu n-trunnions and to the upper end of which said tray is pivotally attached, a segmental rack on said guide, a pinion meshed with said rack, and a motor for driving said pinion to raise and lower the loading-tray, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the loading-tray, and the movable segmental guide concentric with the gun-t runnions and to which said loading-tray is pivotally attached, of a segmental rack on said guides, a pinion meshing with said rack, and a motor for driving said pinion to raise and lower the loading-tray, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. JAMES HORNE.

Witnesses to the signature of the abovenamed Arthur Trevor Dawson:

HENRY KING, GEO. H. BRIDGES.

Witnesses to the signature of the abovenamed James Horne:

W. H. ATKINSON, HAROLD JAMES. 

